A Happy Family
by EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel
Summary: Will Cora find love again after Henry s death? AU! No curse!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys this is a new story. Hope you are all excited and your ideas are always welcome. A few things before I start :**

**-Henry is not Regina´s father but Cora still married him in this story**

**\- Regina doesn´t have magic**

**\- There is no curse but still magic and stuff**

Cora Mills just buried her husband Henry who had been a successful lawyer and was now raising her two daughters alone. Little Zelena was had just turned three while her little sister Regina was just a baby. The new widow feared that she couldn´t raise them alone and was currently searching for a new potential future husband. One who she could love and who loved her not like Henry who she had never loved.

_A few months later…_

It had been months since her husband had died and today she was marrying again. His name was Leopold Blanchard and he was a rich lawyer just like Henry Mills had been. He already had one daughter who was 6 years old but was willing to adopt her little ones after all.

They were a little happy family and loved each other very much. Although at the beginning it was a little weird for Zelena to suddenly have a new Daddy but everything was well now. Little Regina quickly bond with her new father but was still too small to tell the difference. Even Mary was happy to have a new mother although it was hard at first. The young loved her new sisters and played with them very often after school while their parents were still at work.

Today was the day. It was a warm summer day and the whole family was now at City Hall to celebrate. The bride wore a cream-white dress that was tightly hugging her curves and had a long train flowing behind it. The bodice was decorated with small diamonds.

The girls all wore pastel purple dresses with black shoes and their hair was flowing down their backs in natural curls. They truly looked like a family.

It had been a few months since the wedding and the family quickly adjusted to their life together. Sometimes Cora was upset because Regina had taken to Leopold so well but apparently not to her. Whenever she held her daughter the little one would start crying almost immediately.

It made her upset and jealous. Regina seemed to adore Leo but not her. Recently she got elected as the new mayor of Storybrooke and didn´t have much time for her daughters or her husband. It just made everything even more difficult.

Dealing with Regina´s real father was difficult too. Since he found out that Cora betrayed him, back when they broke up, made him really angry and he bugged the woman to no end. He wanted to see his daughter but the young mother wouldn´t let him. Leopold was Regina´s father now not him. Gold and Leo even got into a fight and Leo beat him up very hard.

Since that day he never showed up at their doorstep again. However when they would run into each other in the city or elsewhere he would always try to approach Cora and Regina. Regina was a happy baby and loved her family very much.

At first it was hard for them because Leopold still sometimes thought about Eva which made his wife really angry. She hated Eva for stealing Leo away from her but now she had what she wanted and was happy.

This was her Happily Ever After and she wouldn´t ever give this life away for another. Her children were happy, her husband was happy, so she was happy too. What more could she possibly want. She had a family, a house and most importantly she had love.

Looking at her children and seeing how happy they were made feel contented. She loved Leopold so freaking much and would never do anything to drive him away from her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey I know I didn´t update in a while but with Christmas and school and all it was quite busy for me. I hope you enjoy!**

Regina was now almost a year old and Cora was practicing with her to finally say her first word. They were all in the living room with Regina in her highchair and Cora trying to get her to speak. ,,Come on, little one. Say Mama. I know you can do it." The woman tried to encourage the baby but Regina just stared at her with curious big brown eyes not understanding anything her mother said.

,,Cora, she is a baby. Let her be. She will say it when she is ready." Her husband reminded her smirking. Cora just glared at him before she gave him a kiss and focused on Regina again. ,,Daddy is being silly, sweetheart. Now come on. Say Mama, please."

Suddenly the little girl seemed to understand and opened her mouth. ,,Daddy!" she suddenly shouted and lifted her arms, signaling that she wanted to be picked up by her father. Cora couldn´t believe it. She was practicing this with her daughter for so long now and one word from her father got her to say something. She was angry. Regina should´ve said Mama and not Daddy since Leopold wasn´t even her real father.

,,Look at that, Cora. She said her first word." Leopold smiled proudly at the little girl in his arms. He loved this family so much and Regina was their little baby and hearing her say Daddy made him very happy. She was in every way a Daddy´s girl.

He looked at his wife who didn´t seem to be all too happy with this. She looked very angry in fact. Leopold was confused. She should be happy because she wanted this all weak but apparently it wasn´t what she wanted at all.

,,Cora, what is it, sweetheart? Aren´t you proud of her?" he asked and Cora rolled her eyes annoyed by her husband´s cheesiness.

,,She should have said Mama! I practiced this with her for days now and suddenly you come into view and she says Daddy. You aren´t even her real father." She spat with jealousy gleaming in her soft brown eyes. She wanted this so badly and her husband ruined it all just with one sigle glance at her daughter.

Mary looked between her parents and stood up to get little Zelena away from the scene. Suddenly Regina scrunched up her little face and cried, sensing her parents´ discomfort.

Leopold sat her down and told Mary to watch the little ones while he took Cora by the arm and let her outside. He knew a fight was coming and he didn´t want the kids to see it because they were all too young to understand it. They shouldn´t see them fighting over parental maters and other things. It had been confusing enough for little Zelena already, she didn´t need to see this. He made the mistake of bringing Mary into the fights he had with Eva and wanted to make it better this time.

,,Cora, what is your problem? You don´t want Gold in Regina´s life but still you say I´m not her real father. I don´t get it. I thought I am her father because I adopted Zelena and Regina for you but you don´t seem happy." He said confused while Cora just looked at the floor. He was right and she knew it but she wasn´t happy about it. She wanted them to be a family but it was harder than she had thought it would be. The brunette loved Leopold but sometimes she still thought about Henry and Gold. They were the father´s of her daughters and she sometimes thought it wasn´t right to forget about them.

,,Leo, I love you and I really want us to be a family but sometimes I get jealous because Regina always cries when I´m alone with her but when she is with you she never cries. I just don´t know what is wrong with me sometimes. I´m just so angry at everything and everyone sometimes and I don´t know why. I mean a few years ago I didn´t even know if I would survive another month because of this stupid cancer and now I have a husband and three wonderful daughter´s but there is still this feeling inside of me that I could lose it all one day, that the cancer will come back. My mother died when I was eight years old because of cancer and I don´t want the same to happen to my girls. This is why I hate that Regina is so focused on you. I want all the moments I have with her to be special and this is why I wanted her first word to be Mama. I wanted it so badly." She explained crying. She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him. Leopold hugged her back and kissed her head suddenly understanding why she acted the way she did earlier. He hugged her a little more and played with her dark locks.

,,I love you." He whispered into his wife´s ear which made her smile and they kissed each other passionately.

,,I love you too, Leopold Blanchard-Mills." She smiled and wiped her tears away with her sleeve. They both shared a laugh and just enjoyed each other´s company for a few minutes. They went back into the living room with their hands slung together. What awaited them in the living room was completely shocking. Mary was holding a crying Regina in her arms while Zelena had decided to make a playroom out of the living room. Toys were lying everywhere and Zelena took joy in throwing them at her parents and her older sister.

,,Zelena, we don´t throw toys, young lady." Cora stated with her hands at her hips but Zelena didn´t mind her at all. The toddler copied her mother´s movement and giggled happily at the mess she has made. ,,I´s are playing, Mama." The girl said and went to throw another toy but Leo took it from her and picked her up holding up a finger and shaking it in her face.

Poor Mary still tried to comfort the crying baby in her arms but she just wouldn´t stop crying. ,,I think someone needs a new diaper." She said to Cora who sighed before taking the crying girl upstairs.

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, so sorry that I didn´t update in so long but I had some problems in school and with my health so I didn´t feel like writing. However now that I´m on summer vacation I will try to update more often. So this chapter will be a little time jump to Regina as toddler. I hope you all enjoy and please be so kind and leave a few reviews. **

_Three years later…_

Regina was now three years old and a very active little toddler. Her mother was always at work so it was mostly her oldest sister Mary and her Daddy who took care of her. The little girl was currently sitting in her room with Mary and a few of her toys that acted as members of a little tea party. The brunette loved tea parties but she liked them a lot more when Cora was there. Her job as mayor didn´t leave a lot of time for her kids and that was taking a toll on her. She really loved her girls and missing out on everything because of her damn job frustrated her.

"Mary? When Mama gots home?"the toddler asked her sister sadly as she played with her Rapunzel doll. She absolutely loved the movie Tangled and watched it almost everyday ever since she got the DVD for her birthday. Cora and everyone else was getting annoyed with it but they all played along since it made the little girl happy. Rapunzel had always been her favourite fairytale and every night her mother had to tell her the story over and over again. She wouldn´t hear it from everyone else because she insisted only her Mama could tell the story right and did the voices best. So even after a long day at the office the Mayor would sit with her youngest daughter and tell her the story until she finally fell asleep.

"I don´t know, Gina but it´s only 2pm. She won´t be home until much later."the teen explained and ruffled her sister´s long dark hair amused. It had been a long way until she and Cora had gotten along with each other but now she saw the older woman as her Mom and wouldn´t change it for the world. There had been fights and shouting and a lot of crying but in the end they became a family. She really loved her little sisters and would always spent time with them after school.

Regina huffed, not happy with the answer because she wanted her Mama now. Soon it would be time for her nap and Mary sensed it wouldn´t be easy to get her to sleep when Cora wasn´t there to tell her the story. Her father was busy in the kitchen cooking lunch for the three of them and didn´t know what was going on upstairs. Regina was his little girl and he loved her to the moon and back. The girl had him wrapped around her little finger which Cora wasn´t happy about since she always tried to be firm with her daughter when she was misbehaving but Leopold almost always gave in as soon as he looked into her big brown eyes.

"I wants her now!" the toddler shouted, throwing her doll on the ground and stomping her little feet. Mary could see tears in her eyes and sighed. It was always like this. Regina would miss Cora and throw a fit until the mayor came home and cuddled her. The toddler was just so terribly stubborn all the time.

"Well, she isn´t coming just because you throw a fit,Gina. Now pick your doll up and put it away!"the nine year old ordered sternly and pointed a finger at the doll. She really hated being like this to her sister but she knew she had to stand her ground with the small girl.

"No!" Regina shrieked and cried even harder.

Leopold heard the shouting from upstairs and walked into his daughter´s room to see his girls fighting. He slowly picked the crying toddler up and carried her to her big princess bed where he sat her down and wiped the tears away. " Now, now, there is no need for tears, baby girl. I know you miss your Mama but she has some important work to do and can´t be here just now. She will be here just in time for your bedtime story but only if you stop crying and be a good little girl." he told her and cuddled her close to his chest. Almost immediately the sobbing subsided and she started to wipe at her eyes. Clearly she was getting tired from all the crying and forgot that she missed her Mama for just a moment.

"Okay, Daddy. I´s be a goody girl and take my nap nows." she nodded and laid down in her bed as Leopold wrapped the soft blanket around her small body. Just a moment later the little girl was fast asleep even without her story and Mary quietly began to clean up the mess of their little tea party. She shook her head amused when she picked up the doll and laid it next to her sister who held her teddy tightly to her chest as if nothing had happened. The teen ran a hand through her short hair before kissing the toddler´s forehead and leaving the room.

Leopold and Mary ate their lunch and happily chatted about Regina´s obsession with the fairy tale Rapunzel. When Mary was a toddler she had a little obsession of her own with Snow White. She had made her parents watch it over and over again until the tape was broken and they had to buy her a new one. Zelena though, never really had been obsessed with any sort of fairy tale. She just loved the Wizard of OZ and especially the Wicked Witch of the West while Regina was terrified whenever they watched that movie.

When Cora returned home that day with Zelena in tow Regina was still sleeping peacefully so instead of waking her Cora tried to let her sleep but obviously the toddler was a light sleeper. As her mother kissed her head softly she instantly woke up and smiled sleepy at her. "Mama! Tell me a story? Pwetty pwease?" she asked in her little lisps and smiled widely.

The mayor sighed but she couldn´t resist the puppy dog eyes she was getting. " Fine. Once upon a time, there was a lonely queen whose husband had died and now she was carrying her first child. The queen was very beautiful but also vein and easily jealous so when there had been a prophecy that her daughter shall be the fairest of them all she got really angry. She ordered for a high tower to be build deep in the forest so that she could lock the girl away after she was born. On Christmas Eve she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with a head full of golden curls and locked her away with her nursemaid. The girl´s name was Rapunzel…" she started her tale and Regina listened to her mother´s beautiful and soft voice until she fell asleep again.


	4. AN

**Not an update! I´ve been thinking about stories that I could start next but I can´t decide so I would like to vote. Here are my fav story ideas for now. Just leave a review or a pm on what story you would like to see and the story with the highest vote wins. ( All are complete AU)**

**1\. Instead of Lily being the AntiSaviour it´s Regina. Cora is the Evil Queen and casts the curse after Snow sends Regina away. Regina and Emma meet on the run and become best friends. They both are left pregnant at 18 but Regina keeps the child. Later Regina´s daughter and Henry start a relationship after the curse and all that.**

**2\. It´s about Isaac´s alternate Universe. Regina is found as an infant by the young queen Snow and her old husband George. When Regina is five she catches her mother kissing the stable boy James and tells her father who kills him. That´s where Snow turns evil. …**

**3\. Regina is raised by her aunt Maleficent because Cora can´t keep her since Rumple is her real father. When she is 18 Cora comes back to claim her but Mal tells her to run and she hides in her mother´s private magic chamber and pricks her finger on the spinning wheel. In SB she is a coma patient just like her lover David.**

**4\. This is a version of the movie The Parent Trap where Zelena and Regina are twins. Zelena was raised by Cora while Regina was raised by Henry.**

**5\. Eva is the Evil Queen instead of Regina. Regina is her stepdaughter and she wants to get revenge on her because Cora stole Leopold from her. **

**What do you think? For voting or questions about the ideas just pm me. I would really love to hear what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So here is the next chapter! Yeah! As always please feel free to leave a few reviews. **

**Regina´s first day of kindergarden.**

Today was a very special day in the Mills-Blanchard household. Today was Regina´s first day of kindergarden and the toddler was clearly nervous. She was wearing a white t-shirt that read ´Daddy´s little Princess´ with a purple cardigan and little blue jeans and purple chuck´s to match. Her long dark hair was pulled into two French braids with purple ribbons and a purple bow. Purple clearly was her favourite colour.

Her room was decorated and painted mostly in light purple and most of her wardrobe contained purple items. Even her little school bag was purple with a picture of Rapunzel printed on it.

"Mama, I´s scwared! Can´t yous be their?" she asked for the tenth time that day. Cora had a really important meeting that morning so she couldn´t be there to bring her youngest daughter to the school. She was sad to miss out on this special day however she couldn´t cancel that meeting.

" I have to work, sweety, you know that. And you don´t have to be scared. I´m sure you will make friends easily and your Daddy will be there to bring you to your teacher and pick you up in the afternoon. Here is your lunch box. I made you your favourite sandwiches and some of the homemade apple juice." she explained and hugged the toddler tightly before leaving for work. It was never easy to say goodbye to her girls but the job left her without a choice. The mayor really hated herself whenever she saw Regina´s sad little face. She was sure her daughter would make friends easily but she was really small for her age and could easily be the target of torment. Children could be very cruel.

After everyone was ready they got into the car and Mary helped Regina into her little car seat. They headed to the big school building and Mary and Zelena got in while Leopold and Regina waited for the teacher to call her name. After a while a young ginger haired woman called her name and she quickly took her Daddy´s hands and slowly walked over to the teacher. "Hello, I´m Ms. Smith your teacher." the woman greeted her smiling and Regina waved shyly.

Leopold laughed at that and picked the little girl up to kiss her goodbye. "Okay, little one. Behave and listen to . I´ll pick you up at 3pm." he told her and kissed her head before satting her down and leaving the grounds. For a moment Regina wanted to run after him and come home with him but she reminded herself that she was now a big girl. And big girls didn´t cry for their parents.

Her teacher smiled at her warmly and together with the other kids of her group they headed to the classroom, which was very colourful decorated with a lot of pictures and many small tables for everyone to colour on. She sat next to a blond girl with big blue eyes that was a bit taller than her. In fact everyone was taller than her.

"Hey." the blonde smiled at her and Regina smiled back shyly. " I´m Tina but Mommy call me Tink." she said and Regina giggled at that. Tina really looked a lot like the little fairy. Her ears were quite pointy and she was wearing an all green outfit.

"I´s Regina buts my sissys call me Gina." she replied and they both giggled. At break time they all went out to the playground and Tina and Regina decided to play Princesses and Fairies. Of course the long haired toddler was acting as Rapunzel and her new friend was of course no other than Tinkerbell herself. Regina was really happy to call someone her friend and school didn´t seem as bad as she had thought. They all coloured a picture about their family and than started with learning the ABC. The toddler really had a lot of fun and when her Daddy came to pick her up she was not happy to leave at all. She wanted to stay with Tina but was promised she could play with her friend again the next day.

" So you had fun?" he asked his little daughter who nodded eagerly and held onto his big hand tightly.

" Yes, Daddy. It were awesome! Tink like Disney like me and we´s playing Princesses and Fairies all the time. I wanna plays with her." she explained and Leopold laughed lightly as they waited for Zelena and Mary in front of the school building.

"You can play tomorrow, sweetheart. And what did you learn in school?" he asked amused since she only seemed to care about playing with her friends. Regina rolled her eyes at him but then started to jump up and down in excitement as she spotted her sisters coming out of the building with a lot of other kids.

"Zellie! Mary!" she shouted and ran over to them. Mary smiled brightly and caught her sister in her arms and held her small body close. Mary and Regina always had a strong bond while Zelena mostly kept to herself. She loved sports and wasn´t good in school but she competed often with her swimming team and Cora was really proud of that. Mary loved to read and wrote her own stories. She also liked to play different instruments like the piano or the guitar. Regina loved music too and books. She couldn´t read herself yet but Mary often read to her. She was really talented already. She mastered Beethoven´s 5th Symphony on the piano already and recently she started learning the violin.

Cora didn´t really care about that though. She only seemed to care about Zelena´s success in sports which made Regina sad sometimes.

When her mother came home that day she immediately ran to her to show her her new drawing of their family. It was a really good drawing for a three year old but the mayor was not as impressed as the toddler had hoped. She was exhausted and when she was exhausted she could be really mean.

" Look, Mama! That us." she shrieked in her shrill little voice and Cora flinched but still took the drawing and looked at it.

" Yeah, nice." she mumbled and tossed it onto a table nearby. Regina huffed sadly and ran to her room crying. She didn´t understand why her mother acted like that sometimes. It was always Zelena that got the special attention from their Mama and never her. It was so unfair!

Slowly their little happy family seemed to crumble and not only Regina was suffering.


	6. Chapter 6

**So here is the next chapter. Again a little time jump to Regina being 5. Hope you all enjoy. **

_Two years later…_

Regina was now five years old and really happy. Her mother spent more time with her now that it was summer time and there wasn´t much to do at the office and she and her friend Tina saw each other almost everyday after school to play. They would either go to Tina´s home or to the mansion to play their games. Recently though Tina had started ballet and didn´t have much time anymore. Now it was Saturday and the little blonde was staying for a sleepover at the mansion. They were both playing in the backyard under Regina´s apple tree as Tina showed her little friend some moves she had learned.

"It looks fun." the small girl watched in awe as her best friend did a piroette over and over again. " I wanna be ballerina too, Tink." she exclaimed and did as the blonde showed her. She did very well for the first time and was very proud of it. She loved art and music and therefore dancing was something she really enjoyed and Cora had always told her she should do some sort of sport like Zelena did. Dancing was a very hard sport to learn so she decided that was what she would learn next. She already was a master on the piano and with the violin and she recently started cello. So ballet didn´t seem that hard for her. She had rhythm in her bones so dancing seemed perfect.

"Yeah, that would be fun and we could be together all times. You should weally ask your mommy. Ballet is weally good for your body and you aren´t as restless as you had been before cause you must to be very still." Tina explained as they went inside to talk to Cora and Leopold. The parents had prepared a little snack for both girls. Two sandwiches with peanut butter and homemade applesauce since Regina loved apples so much. The mayor laughed lightly as they dugged into the sandwiches as if they hadn´t eaten in days and ruffled her daughter´s very long dark hair.

"Mama? Can I´s learn ballet with Tink?" the little brunette looked up from her snack with puppy dog eyes, silently pleading with her mother. Cora however wasn´t so sure. Ballet seemed like the wrong hobby since the girls were drilled to perfect little puppets even at such a young age and she didn´t want that for her daughter. Besides, dancing wasn´t really a sport in her eyes and her daughter already had so many hobbies that kept her from learning.

"I don´t think that´s such a good idea, sweetheart. It´s very expensive and you already have so many other hobbies. Besides, I´m not so sure you would stand the pressure. You are only five after all and only the best have success. I don´t think you are strong enough, Regina." she told her young daughter who crossed her arms over her chest and began to cry. Cora really hurt her with her speech and she didn´t even notice. She wasn´t weak! She knew she was just as strong as Zelena and Mary were but her mother always told her she was too weak, too small or too naïve. It wasn´t fair.

"Cora" her father hissed and dragged her into the living room to talk privately. He couldn´t believe his wife had just crushed their daughter´s dreams. That was not the way one should talk to a child. But then again it was Cora Mills talking. The older brunette had given almost exactly the same answers when Regina had begged them to learn violin and cello. In the end Cora had given into her daughter as she promised she would practise everyday however he sensed that the convincing would be much harder this time. Cora had been right to say it was expensive and hard but she shouldn´t have said the other things. He knew how stubborn and determined his little one could be when it came to learning things to make her mother proud.

Making Cora proud was very hard for the five year old. She was always reminded how perfect Zelena was even when the ginger got bad marks. Only the swimming was important but Regina´s many talents were completely ignored because she didn´t win any trophies to show of.

"You can´t tell her that she isn´t good enough. You know how she gets. She will sulk for days and give us the silent treat until you apologies. She is so sensitive and the only thing she wants is to make you proud and to have fun. You know she isn´t really the type for sports so be grateful that she wants to learn dancing which is rather hard." he reminded her sternly. Leopold couldn´t stand it whenever Cora spoke to Regina like that. The girl was already shy and insecure enough without his wife reminding her everyday that she was a failure. Ever since the small girl started school Cora had distanced herself and stopped caring. Sometimes he blamed it on her job as mayor were she always had to be firm and direct but there were other times where he wasn´t so sure if really the business woman was talking or the actual Cora.

"I can tell my daughter whatever I think is right! She needs to learn that life sometimes isn´t fair and that she won´t get what she wants all the time." Cora shouted stubborn and he heard a slight bit of bitterness in her tone of voice. This clearly wasn´t about the dancing anymore. She was referring to her cancer again. "Besides, dancing is not a real sport." she added after a dramatic pause. Her husband really didn´t recognize the woman in front of him. It couldn´t be the happy and carefree Cora he fell in love with after Eva had died.

They had met after Eva´s death in the hospital. She was waiting for her treatment and saw him crying in the waiting room and wanted to cheer this poor guy up and he fell in love with her right there. She had been diagnosed with cancer when she was pregnant with Zelena but decided against treatment to be able to keep her child. She started treatment right after birth and was cancer free for almost a year until it started again. After Regina was born she still had to take chemo but shortly before Henry had died she was able to beat it completely. Leopold had been her friend through all of this since Henry was too busy at work and with caring for Zelena.

"It damn right is a sport, Cora! And if you think it´s too expensive then I´ll gladly pay the money for you. It will make her happy." he then decided and Cora nodded. She finally realized that she had been in fact too harsh and should apologies. They hugged each other after calming down and went to tell Regina the news.

The little girl was crying into her friend´s shoulder as they entered the kitchen and the older brunette picked her up and kissed her head lovingly. "You are allowed to start ballet." she whispered into her little ears and smiled when Regina stopped crying and beamed up at her.

"Weally?" she asked unsure.

"Really!" Cora replied and hugged her little girl tightly to her chest.


	7. Chapter 7

The next months nothing really happened. Regina begged her parents to finally enroll her in a dance studio, but Cora always said "later". The toddler was impatient and wanted to start immediately. She really hated waiting. When Zelena wanted to go to the swimming team Cora had enrolled her right away, so why not with her?

At lunch one week before her sixth birthday the toddler decided enough was enough. She really wanted to start ballet and the waiting was killing her. What she didn´t know was that her parents had already enrolled her and wanted to surprise her for her birthday.

"Mommy?" she asked as everyone had finished eating.

"What is it, sweetheart?" her mother asked back and waited for the child to answer her.

"When can I finally start dancing?"

"Soon." Cora answered simply but Regina was not satisfied with this answer. She wanted to know exactly when. Zelena didn`t pay any attention and went up to her room. The girl still had homework to do and her little sister annoyed her as always. "Zelena, wait!" her mother called and Regina lowered her head and crossed her little arms over her chest. As always her older sister got the attention of their mother. "You need to get your hair cut." She looked at the red curls and Zelena smiled. She loved haircuts.

She didn´t like her long hair since it was always in the way and it was always tangled even if she brushed it for hours. A while ago she had asked her parents to let her shave her head and donate the hair. A bald head would also be better for swimming as she could glide through the water faster without her hair in the way.

"Thank you, mom." She smiled and sat back down in her seat.

"No problem. Regina you want a haircut too? We could donate your hair to a little girl who needs it more than you do. Your hair is so long, ten inches wouldn´t really make a difference. And it will be easier to keep up, especially if you start dancing." Cora looked at Regina´s long curls that stopped just over her butt. The toddler liked her hair and didn´t want to cut it.

"I don´t want to cut it, Mama. I like it long. Don´t want to be shaved!" the girl shrieked. Her mother knew she liked her hair but she hated it. Cora had always wanted her hair to be short like Mary´s. Regina just wasn´t sure why her mother hated long hair so much. Regina thought it was her best feature.

"You wouldn´t be shaved like Zelena. Just ten inches, sweety. That would be to the middle of your back, so not short at all." Cora reassured and Leopold didn´t like where this was going. He hated this. He loved his daughter´s long hair. It looked so shiny and soft. When Cora had cut Mary´s hair off he had freaked out and hadn´t spoken to his wife for a whole week. It had been long and thick just like Regina´s. He knew it wouldn´t stop at ten inches. If Cora got the chance to cut their daughter´s hair she would make it short and she would make sure it stayed short.

"But I don´t wanna. I wanna look like Rapunzel." The brunette told her mother and flicked her hair dramatically. Mary smiled at her little sister. She was angry at Cora when the older woman had cut all her hair off but now she really liked the pixie cut. However, she knew Regina would hate it.

"Well, I will cut Zelena´s hair now. Maybe after this you´ll want to cut your hair too. It doesn´t have to be donated. Maybe I will just give you a trim. " Mary also knew what that meant. A trim, as Cora saw it, would at least be six inches if not seven. She couldn´t let that happen.

"Mom, just leave her alone. Her hair is beautiful and she doesn´t need it cut. It´s okay the way it is now. Shorter hair wouldn´t suit her, right daddy?" Leopold nodded and smiled at his daughter.

"Fine, maybe when you´ll start school." Cora agreed and ran her fingers through Regina´s long curls. She wouldn´t want to upset her child so shortly before her birthday.

* * *

"You look great." The mayor smiled as she finished shaving Zelena´s head. Her daughter looked so much better without the red curls. Before the cut, her hair looked like a bird´s nest. Now her beautiful face came into focus. Cora couldn´t stop touching the smooth skin.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Regina." The whole family said in unison as the little girl blew the candles on her Rapunzel cake. After they had eaten cake the brunette was finally allowed to open the gifts.

The first one came from her sister Mary. It was a thick fairytale book for when Regina could read properly. Right now she was still too young. Regina had recently started reading but she was still struggling at difficult words as was to expected for her age.

The next present was from Zelena. It was a shiny hair brush in purple. Her favourite colour.

And the last gift was from her parents. As she opened the box she was confused. In it were light pink ballet shoes.

"Mommy? Why I gots ballet shoes?" she asked and looked up at her parents. Cora and Leopold smirked at eachother before Leopold answered his daughter.

"Well, sweetheart, we enrolled you in a dance studio so you can learn ballet. That´s what you wanted right? We enrolled you a while ago, but wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday. You like it?" he asked and Regina nodded happily. She loved it. Now she could finally start dancing with Tink.

"Thank you! I love them!" the little brunette went to hug her parents and insisted on wearing her new shoes for the rest of the day. She would never take them off, or that´s what she had told her parents. Cora was happy that she allowed her daughter to start dancing. Seeing her happy little face was priceless.


End file.
